Ahead of polls, city police crack down on liquor influx

Vadodara: With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, illegal liquor business is expected to shoot up in and around the city. To rein in the network of liquor carriers, city police have begun cracking down on bootleggers. The detection of crime branch (DCB) has already arrested four notorious bootleggers, who have a vast network in the city as well as across Central Gujarat, in the past two months.
Crime branch sleuths said these bootleggers bring in big stock of liquor illegally from other states and sell them to small-time bootleggers, who in turn take to retail sale. “With elections approaching, these bootleggers were in action to smuggle in huge stock of liquor in the state. They have a strong network in districts of Central Gujarat and so we had prepared a plan to nab them,” said Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, DCP (crime).

The police arrested Alpesh alias Alpu Sindhi Wadhwadni, Lalchand Khanani, Lalji Rabari and Zubair Memon. Lalchand has been externed from the city. These bootleggers have been in the business of selling liquor since years. “We have broken the backbone of liquor trade in the city.

Liquor flow has literally dried up in and around Vadodara,” Jadeja told TOI. The police said they are keeping vigil on National Highway-8 and checking vehicles regularly. Liquor worth lakhs of rupees has been seized in the city in the last few days.

Alpesh Wadhwadni (Alpu Sindhi)

Number of cases: Alpesh has 29 cases registered against him, including that of prohibition. The police had also detained him under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) twice. Modus operandi: He had begun using GPS and internet calling to avoid being traced. Alpesh smuggles liquor in big trucks, parks them at isolated spots on highways. The liquor is then distributed to retail bootleggers.

Lalchand Khanani alias Lalu Sindhi

Number of cases: Lalu has 41 cases registered against him, including that of prohibition and attempt to murder. Police had detained him five times under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA). Modus operandi: Lalu has a network outside the state from where he smuggles in big liquor stock. He hires a big godown, stocks liquor there and then sells it to small bootleggers.

Lalji Rabari

Number of cases: Lalji has been booked in 45 different cases, including that of bootlegging, gambling and assault in the city. He was detained under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) four times and externed once. Modus operandi: Lalji has a deep network in the city and districts of Central Gujarat. He used to bring in liquor and store it in either his house or on open plots at isolated spots.

Zubair Memon

Number of cases: Zubair has been booked in 55 criminal cases, including bootlegging and damaging public property in Vadodara, Navsari, Panchmahal, Valsad, Anand, Surat as well as Mumbai. Modus operandi: Zubair used to smuggle in liquor and stock them in Valsad, Surat, Navsari, Bharuch, Mehsana and Patan. He used to contact local bootleggers and sell off the liquor in small quantities.